newjerseynewsroom.com

Grants range from $20,000 to $1,000

35 tourism-related organizations have been awarded a share of approximately $400,000 in state marketing grants to help expand tourism in New Jersey, the Division of Travel & Tourism announced on Thursday.

The money is to be used to promote and market tourism events, attractions and activities throughout the state.

“The Division of Travel and Tourism awards these grants to tourism organizations to provide critical promotional services and to promote New Jersey as premier travel destination,” Travel & Tourism Director Grace Hanlon said. “This program is a very exciting collaboration and is paramount to the growth and success of travel and tourism in New Jersey.”

The grant recipients are:

Wheaton Arts Cultural Center - $20,000

Garden State Wine Growers Association - $17,500

Highlands Tourism Partnership - $8,058

Belmar Pro Surf Tournament - $10,500

Barnegat Bay Decoy & Baymen Museum, Tuckerton Seaport, - $17,500

Reclam the Bay Inc. - $10,500

First Choice Marketing – $10,500

Cooper’s Ferry Development Association Inc. - $17,500

Bayshore Discovery Project - $14,000

Greater Hammonton Chamber of Commerce - $7,000

Warren County Farmers’ Fair Association - $7,000

7 Mile Business Community Association Inc. - $16,567.60

Cape May County Department of Tourism - $17,500

Genesius Guild DBA ReVision Theatre - $14,000

East Lynne Theater Co. - $10,500

Cape May Bird Observatory – $9,000

Celebrate New Jersey - $15,000

Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce - $9,000

Festival of Ballooning Inc. - $9,000

County of Salem - $14,985

City of Hoboken - $7,504

Monmouth Park Racetrack - $9,000

Greater Atlantic City GLBT - $9,000

Sussex County Division of Planning - $9,000

Monmouth County Department of Tourism - $15,000

City of Ocean City - $9,000

Appel Farm Arts and Music Center - $15,000

Montclair Art Museum - $6,000

PACE Racing - $9,000

Seaside Heights Business Improvement District - $12,500

Cape May Stage Inc. - $6,975

Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts - $4,000

Cape May County Chamber of Commerce - $1,000

First Choice Marketing - $7,500

Sunset Lake Hydrofest Association - $6,409

“The Cooperative Marketing Grant Program is a valuable tool for tourism industry representatives who are committed in their efforts to increase visitation and generate visitor revenues throughout the Garden State," Hanlon said. “Over the years, the program has been very successful in providing opportunities to tourism organizations to innovatively promote New Jersey's diverse array of tourism products."

—TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM